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Cystic Fibrosis in Children

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common genetic (inherited) diseases in America. It is also one of the most serious. It mainly affects the lungs and the digestive system, causing problems with breathing and digesting foods. It is a chronic disease that currently has no cure.

The pediatric specialists at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford work closely with the Stanford Health Care team to treat kids with cystic fibrosis and transition patients into adulthood smoothly and successfully.

Our Cystic Fibrosis program is one of 20 in the nation. We have a dedicated, multidisciplinary team that offers respiratory therapy, nutritional counseling, diabetes treatment, psychiatry and social work services. We are the only Cystic Fibrosis Foundation–designated Therapeutic Development Network Center in California, Nevada and Oregon and have cared for patients who come from as far away as Brazil.

Our pediatric pulmonologists work closely with gastroenterologists; ear, nose and throat specialists; and endocrinologists to manage this complex disease. We also participate in dozens of clinical trials that are searching for new treatments and methods to improve the length and quality of our patients’ lives.

Meet Lauren Catron

Lauren could be considered a poster child for how far medical science has come to promote survival in patients with cystic fibrosis, a chronic genetic disease that affects the lungs and the digestive systems — and has no cure. When Lauren was diagnosed with CF at 3 years old, her doctors said she may not make it to her teens. She’s now thriving in her late 20s.